Emergency Preparedness – DIAI Insurance Brokerage

FEMA Smartphone App

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an app available for smartphones. It has a lot of features that can help one learn and plan for disaster.

Disaster Safety Tips

Help inform yourself about what to do before, during and after 16 different types of disasters including earthquake, flood and fire.

Emergency Kit List

Gives you a checklist that you can work from as you put your kit together and keep track of what you already have. It also allow you to add your own personal items to the list.

Emergency Meeting Locations

Allows you to save three different meeting locations to share with your friends and family.

FEMA Smartphone App

“Know Your Plan” App Makes Disaster Prep Easy

Damaged house following Feb 22 quake by martinluff, on Flickr Since the basic idea of insurance is “what if?”, disaster preparedness is a natural topic. With some events, like earthquakes, it’s not a question of if but when. Preparedness isn’t a goal but a process. The idea is to keep working on it little by little. While our family may be better prepared than most, I still find it hard to stay with it. The Insurance Institute has put together an iPhone app that helps you work through a plan to get yourself and your family prepared.

“Know Your Plan” from the Insurance Institute: http://www.iii.org/press_releases/new-app-from-insurance-information-institute-helps-users-prepare-for-a-catastrophe-before-disaster-strikes.html

Are You Ready? Disaster Preparedness Seminar 2011

Come join the city of Huntington Beach for National Disaster Preparedness Month and find out if you are ready.When a major disaster occurs, impacts may include food and water shortages, shelter needs, lack of public utility services, separated family members, and medical needs.Emergency responders can be quickly overwhelmed and you have the responsibility to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours by providing your own food, water, first aid, and shelter.At this seminar, the city will provide you with the vital information that you will need to care for yourself and your family in a disaster.

Learn about what hazards we face in Huntington Beach, what the city and county does to prepare, and how you can help build a disaster resilient community.Speakers will include, Fire Chief Patrick McIntosh, Orange County Asst. Emergency Manager Vicky Osborn, and more.Please register at www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/cert and choose Class Registration.

Flood Insurance: Affordable First-Step Protection

PASADENA, Calif. — The recent winter rains are an urgent reminder to Californians living in flood-threatened areas that they can reduce future financial losses from flooding by buying flood insurance.

“Many residents are unaware that their homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage,” said Mark Neveau, federal coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “Flooding is the most common and most costly type of natural disaster in the United States. Having flood insurance coverage can make a huge difference when facing the need to make repairs and replace items following a flood.”

Managed by FEMA, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is designed to provide an alternative to disaster assistance and reduce the ever-rising costs of rebuilding. Flood insurance is a prudent and affordable first step for any home or business owner and also is available to renters.

“FEMA can only offer financial aid to residents in the event of a presidential disaster declaration,” notes Tom Maruyama, deputy state coordinating officer. “However, most floods are not extensive enough to warrant such as a declaration. An NFIP flood policy pays off whether there is a declaration or not.”

Insuring your property can be relatively inexpensive compared to the massive cost of reconstruction following a flood. Residents can buy flood insurance from their local insurance agent as long as they live in a participating NFIP community. It is wise to purchase enough coverage to replace property than to merely buy enough insurance to cover a mortgage. While flood insurance can be purchased at any time, there is a 30-day waiting period before the policy becomes effective.

AlertOC: Emergency Notification Service from County of Orange

DIAI

2008-12-01 21:10

AlertOC is a mass notification system designed to keep Orange County residents and businesses informed of emergencies and certain community events. By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive voice messages from the County or City in which you live or work may be sent to your home, cell or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to cell phones, e-mail accounts and hearing impaired receiving devices.

To sign up, go to www.alertoc.com